The Centre has assured citizens that LPG deliveries across the country remain stable amid the evolving Middle East situation. According to reports from The Times of India, delivery authentication code (DAC)-based deliveries have risen to nearly 96% to curb diversion and black marketing. Officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas reported that online LPG bookings have touched nearly 99% on an industry basis, while no dry-outs have been reported at distributorships. The government has implemented several rationalisation measures, including increasing the booking interval from 21 to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas, and prioritising sectors for supply.
The government reported significant progress in PNG (Piped Natural Gas) expansion initiatives. As reported by The Times of India, over 58,500 consumers have surrendered LPG connections through the MYPNGD.in portal till May 20, while around 7.64 lakh PNG connections have been gasified since March 2026. Infrastructure for an additional 2.81 lakh PNG connections has also been created, with 22 States and Union Territories receiving additional commercial LPG allocations linked to PNG expansion reforms. The government has offered all States/UTs additional 10% allocation of commercial LPG to help in long-term transition from LPG to PNG, with the National PNG Drive 2.0 extended till 30.06.2026 to sustain momentum.
Over the last three days, around 1.34 crore LPG cylinders were delivered against bookings of nearly 1.32 crore cylinders, demonstrating effective supply management. According to The Times of India, city gas distribution entities have been asked to prioritise PNG connections for hotels, restaurants and other commercial establishments. The Centre urged citizens to avoid panic buying, rely only on official information, and conserve energy wherever possible, encouraging consumers to use alternate fuels such as PNG and electric or induction cooktops. Consumers have been prioritised with 100% supplies to D-PNG and CNG-Transport, while gas supply to other industrial and commercial sectors is enhanced up to 80%.
The government has taken strong enforcement measures against hoarding and black marketing activities. As reported by The Times of India, more than 5,000 raids have been conducted across the country over the last three days against hoarding and black marketing. PSU oil marketing companies carried out surprise inspections at more than 3,100 petrol pumps and LPG distributorships, with penalties imposed on 463 LPG distributorships and 81 distributorships suspended so far. The government has intensified daily enforcement drives by District administration and continues raids and inspections in coordination with OMCs, while actively monitoring and countering fake news/misinformation on social media.
All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories, maintaining sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel across the country. According to The Times of India, the Centre announced that excise duty on petrol and diesel has been reduced by ₹10 per litre to shield consumers from the impact of rising crude prices amid the Middle East crisis. The government has implemented several rationalisation measures, including enhancing refinery production and prioritising sectors for supply. An inter-ministerial Joint Working Group (JWG) has been set up to ensure availability of petrochemical feedstock supply for the domestic market, with the government vide order dated 01.04.2026 permitting Oil Refinery companies to make certain minimum quantities of C3 & C4 streams available for critical sectors.
